Photo of suspect, courtesy NYPD

Several nearby construction workers heard the woman scream and rushed to help; the attacker fled. The victim was taken to an area hospital where she is in stable condition.

The suspect is described as being in his mid-20s and was last seen wearing a red Adidas jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-8477(TIPS). All callers to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and all calls will be kept confidential. You may also submit tips to the Crime Stoppers website by visiting:
www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text your tips to 274637 (crimes) and enter TIP577.

A 34-year-old woman was in her apartment on Amsterdam Avenue on Jan. 26 with her friend. The victim said that while her friend was in her apartment, her engagement ring and other jewelry were stolen. The diamond engagement ring was worth $7,500 and the other jewelry totaled $600. Police are on the lookout for the suspect, a 30-year-old, 5’3” Hispanic woman. No arrests have yet been made.

Moving Day Troubles

A 37-year-old woman said that while she was moving into her new apartment on West 67th Street on Jan. 25, she placed her two handbags on a shelf in a closet. The woman reported to police that her pocketbooks were taken at some point during the move when only the moving company had access to her apartment. There were no signs of forced entry and no cameras present at the scene. A Chanel bag worth $1,750 and a Bottega Veneta bag worth $750 were stolen.

Man Stabs Boss With a Pen

On Feb. 1, a man reported that on the sidewalk on West 74th Street, his worker became upset while he was on the phone with his mother. The employee hung up the phone and proceeded to stab his boss in the forehead with a pen. The victim, a 31-year-old man from the Bronx, had cuts and lacerations on his head. The 21-year-old assailant was arrested for assault on location.

Violent Phone Thieves

On Jan. 27, a 35-year-old man was waiting for a taxi in front of a restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue, to take him home to his apartment on Broadway. While he was waiting, he told police he was approached by three men. One of them said, “Do you want me to stab you? Let me get your phone.” The victim put his phone away, but another one of the perpetrators grabbed the iPhone and began to beat him. The victim was knocked unconscious from the assault. When he came to, he took a taxi home, but refused medical attention. There were cameras in the area and police are on the lookout for a Hispanic male, believed to be 23 years old, wearing a gray sweater.

Assailant Claims to Have Firearm, Steals Phone

A teenager who lives on Broadway was approached by an unknown man on West 78th Street on Jan. 29th. The boy said the man lifted his jacket, simulating a firearm and said, “Ya see this?” The perpetrator told his victim to hand over his phone and said, “If you call the cops, pops are going to happen.” The victim saw his assailant walk Northbound on West End Avenue. Police are on the lookout for a black man wearing a black leather jacket.

Woman’s Money Goes Missing After Opera

On Jan. 29, a woman took the bus to see the opera at Lincoln Center. Afterward, she took the bus back to her apartment. While on the bus, she noticed her wallet was missing. The victim called her bank, and found out that two unauthorized transactions had occurred on her account: $1,500 at a computer store, among other smaller charges. In all, the woman’s wallet, credit card and debit card were taken.

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS STOLEN FROM WOMAN’S BANK ACCOUNT
A 37-year-old woman went to use her bank account online last Monday from inside her apartment on Broadway, when she discovered that her account had been frozen. After contacting her bank, she was informed that an unknown perpetrator went into her bank with fake identification and was able to withdraw $4,500. A second attempt to withdraw more money was denied by the bank. In addition, the unknown person opened up a credit card account in her name. No arrests have yet been made.

A BITING THEFT CASE
A 27-year-old woman went to her place of work at a dentist’s office on Broadway on Jan. 25, and reported there was missing dental equipment, totaling over $22,000 in value. She said the theft had occurred sometime between Jan. 15 and 25. The unknown perpetrator stole eight dental headpieces and four intra-oral cameras. Police do not yet have a lead, but if arrested the charge will be grand larceny.

PUNCHED IN THE NOSE FOR IPHONE
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, a 21-year-old man said he was entering the 79th Street subway when an unknown man started following him. The man said, “Give me your phone,” and then struck his victim in the nose. The assailant snatched the phone and fled. The victim was then taken to the hospital. He did not have a tracking app installed, so the phone was not recovered. The surrounding locations do, however, have street cameras. Police are on the lookout for a Hispanic man around 20 years old and six feet tall, wearing a black sweatshirt and a black doo-rag.

WOMAN HIT UP FOR $1,300 ON 85TH STREET
On Friday, Jan. 25, a 37-year-old woman was walking down West 85th Street when she was approached by an unknown man wearing a mask. The man, while keeping his hand in his pocket, asked, “Am I on 85th Street?” When the woman answered, he said, “Give me all your money; don’t be stupid.” The victim says she gave him $1,300. The assailant then instructed her to walk toward Columbus Avenue and not look back. She complied. Police are on the lookout for a black man wearing a black coat, approximately 5’10” and 35 years old, wearing a dark mask at the time of the robbery.

THIEF BUYS $4,000 WORTH OF AUTO GOODS WITH FORGED CREDIT CARD
A 32-year-old male reported that when he was in his apartment at West 73rd Street on Jan. 23, he discovered that an unknown person used his checking account information to purchase almost $4,000 of auto parts from a local shop. The incident occurred sometime in mid-December. The victim was in possession of his debit card at the time of the theft, so the credit cards were forged. No arrests have yet been made.

FAMILY JEWELS TAKEN
A West 83rd Street woman returned to her apartment on Tuesday, Jan. 15, to find her jewelry rifled through and her most valuable items stolen. The thief only took diamonds, gold and some heirloom pieces, leaving all her costume jewelry behind, she reported. Her son slept through the whole incident. They live in a doorman building, and the robbery victim said she has always considered it so safe that she had neglected to lock her door. Not anymore. Later, some neighbors told her that they had seen a suspicious man walking in the halls, and that he had rung some doorbells, only to say he had the wrong apartment when someone answered. They reported the man to the doorman. All in all, the woman says she lost about $4,000 worth of jewelry.

CREDIT CARD CROOK ARRESTED
Last Saturday, officers observed a 31-year-old man purchasing home goods at a furniture store using forged credit cards. Upon being confronted, the perp resisted arrest and tried to throw away the evidence in an attempt to feign innocence. He was arrested nonetheless and charged with grand larceny. His victims live outside New York City, and have been informed of the credit card thefts.

OVER 20 GRAND STOLEN FROM BANK ACCOUNT
An 83-year-old man reported over $22,000 stolen from his bank account recently. The man was in his apartment at West 64th Street when he received a call from his bank citing the suspicious activity. The perpetrator used fake checks, and the victim’s money has not been recovered. The withdrawal could have occurred anytime between Dec. 1 and Jan. 2. No arrests have been made yet.

TAKING THE IVORIES
A Yamaha piano was stolen out of a 28-year-old musician’s apartment on Riverside Drive. The victim traveled to Korea on Jan. 5 and returned on Jan. 10 to find his piano missing. The perpetrator, when found, will be charged with grand larceny.

GUARD ATTACKED AT BRANDEIS
On a recent Wednesday morning, a 19-year-old man attempted to walk through the metal detectors at Brandeis School on West 84th Street. When the security officer told him to wait, the defendant became loud and threatening. The perp then attempted to walk through again, and struck the security officer, a 37-year-old male, in the chest and face. The man was arrested for attempted assault, and his victim was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures.

Gun detractors and defenders are up in arms after spates of recent violence. What will new laws mean for our safety?

By Emily Johnson

The first person to be killed with a gun this year in Manhattan was a 16-year-old kid.
Raphael Ward loved baseball and was devoted to his 7-year-old brother. On the night of Jan. 4, he took a bullet to the chest after he refused to hand over his warm winter jacket to a group of thugs.
At the time, state Sen. Dan Squadron said of the crime, “We must continue to work together as a community to fight the scourge of gun violence and make our homes and our streets safer for our families. From stronger gun laws to improved safety at NYCHA developments, we are reminded far too often that the time to act is now.”

Vows of action after tragedy are common and seldom become reality, particularly where guns are concerned. But in this post-Sandy Hook era, suddenly everything that once seemed politically fraught is on the table. And New York is at the forefront of a long-dormant issue that has exploded into the national awareness since 26 people, including 20 young children, were gunned down in the Connecticut elementary school on Dec. 14.

On Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that expanded a ban on assault weapons, limited the number of bullets allowed in magazines and bolstered mental health regulations surrounding gun ownership.

The response to the law, predictably, was immediate and furious. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott invited disgruntled New York gun owners to move to the Lone Star State. The National Rifle Association cried foul on the haste with which the bill was pushed through, and together with the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, immediately organized a legal team to review the bill.
The governor defended speed as necessary to prevent a rush to snatch up more guns before the laws went into effect. Considering that in first weeks after the Sandy Hook shooting, the mere suggestion of gun control being reopened for discussion sent people around the country into a gun-buying frenzy, he may have had a point.

Sen. Squadron, a longtime advocate of increased gun control, welcomed the new regulations and called for President Barack Obama to follow suit.

“Our work isn’t done,” he said. “Where Albany has acted, Washington must now act as well.”
Washington didn’t take long to follow suit. Last week, invoking Sandy Hook’s child victims, Obama announced a comprehensive initiative aimed at rolling back gun violence and called on Congress to reinstate the national assault weapons ban and to establish universal background checks for anyone buying a firearm. He also signed 23 executive actions, which did not require congressional approval, that implemented steps like incentives for states to share background check information and hire school resource officers. These were moderate actions, for the most part, aimed at cracking down on school shootings from every angle.

Has there ever been a sleeper issue that, when roused, was more of a lightning rod than gun control? In a polarized country where the Second Amendment is defended with well-funded and fervent zeal, the president himself didn’t go near the issue during his first term, and treated it as taboo in a reelection campaign wary of scaring off swing-state voters.

But now that the NRA has lost its chokehold on the issue, the can of worms it has opened nationwide is astonishing. As liberal activists and politicians leap at this window of opportunity, the panicked gun lobby is doubling down, arguing that more guns make us safer. Conspiracy theories have sprung up claiming that the killings at Sandy Hook were fabricated, or part of an elaborate government plot. The First Amendment was thrown under the bus in favor of the Second when a White House petition to deport CNN’s Piers Morgan for publicly urging stronger gun control received over 100,000 signatures. It has set off heated debates about race in the context of mass shootings, which are predominantly carried out by white men. It has launched a series of provocative, viral articles on mental health by people identifying with shooter Adam Lanza, or with his mother. It has prompted blistering criticism of the media’s role in creating future mass shooters by sensationalizing their actions.

Amid all of this noise, is there no factual common ground? Will this bill actually be effective in curbing gun violence like the incident that claimed Raphael Ward’s life?

New York Assembly members and state senators, a largely blue assortment of people, overwhelmingly hailed the new bill as a positive step.

“While it should not have taken the tragedy of Sandy Hook to begin the long-overdue conversation on guns that we are currently having, I am glad that New York state, which already has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, will act to make them tougher,” Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal said, while Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he was “very pleased that the governor said he would join the Assembly in enacting serious and meaningful gun safety legislation.”

Some mental health experts, however, had concerns about one provision of the law: namely, requiring therapists, doctors and social workers to report patients they see as dangerous—which would automatically disqualify them for gun ownership.

Dr. Paul Appelbaum, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, told the New York Times that the requirement “represents a major change in the presumption of confidentiality that has been inherent in mental health treatment” and warned that it could discourage people with potentially homicidal tendencies from seeking help in the first place.

Other mental health elements of the plan have been better received, such as an amendment to Kendra’s Law. The 1999 law, which requires people who have been deemed a sufficient risk to society to undergo psychiatric treatment, has been extended through 2017 and outpatient treatment will now be required for a year, up from six months.

Laila Dewan, 37, who has two young sons and lives in the same Lower East Side housing complex where Ward lived with his mother, was cautiously optimistic about the New York law.

“It’s great,” she said. “It’s important to protect kids, you know?”

“It’ll be better for everybody, if it actually does make a difference.”

YOUTHS’ PHONES SWIPED

Last Monday, three male middle-school-aged friends were walking down West 83rd Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, when two unknown male youths approached them. One perp told the boys, “If you don’t give me your phone, I’ll shoot,” and patted his jacket, indicating a hidden gun. One youth gave up his phone, while one suspect grabbed another boy’s backpack and swiped his phone. The muggers warned the victims, “not a word,” and they walked away. In total, one Droid and another cellphone were stolen.

TWO SENIORS SWINDLED
Last Thursday, a 74-year-old Upper West Side resident reported a disturbing discovery to police. After the woman noticed that someone was withdrawing money from the joint account she shares with her 90-year-old mother, she investigated with Chase bank. She was shocked to find that an unknown person had been taking money from her mother’s accounts for the past two years—to the tune of $33,753. The elderly mother had lost her bank card, and her daughter told police neither she nor her mother has any idea who could have gained access to her funds.

I BROKE INTO AN APARTMENT AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY LOCKBOX
A 36-year-old woman returned from vacation last Tuesday to find that her apartment on West 81st Street had been broken into. Her glass patio door was shattered, but all that was stolen was an empty lockbox. The break-in occurred sometime between Dec. 31 and Jan. 8. During this time, the only person with access to the apartment was her pet caretaker, the victim said. No arrests have been made.

CON MEN DUPE ELDERLY WOMAN
Last Monday, an 81-year-old woman living at Central Park West received a phone call from a man posing as her grandson, who said he was in jail in Mexico City. Another man, claiming to be a sergeant from the American Embassy, told the woman to send $21,000 in bail. The victim wired over the money. Another man on the phone asked for an additional $1,800 dollars, which she sent over, but the transaction did not go through. Afterward, the victim spoke with her real grandson, who apparently was at work in New York at the time of the phone calls. The con men’s calls emanated from the 514 (Montreal) area code.

CREDIT CARD THIEF MAKES ‘YUMMY’ PURCHASES
A 76-year-old man living at West 72nd Street reported a credit card theft last Tuesday. He had received a phone call from Citibank informing him of unauthorized transactions on his credit card totaling $5,300 made by Yummy Tummy Catering. The victim could not find his credit card, which is usually at home, and canceled the card. The theft occurred sometime between Nov. 26 and Jan. 8.

CANE ATTACK
An elderly man reported being caned by an acquaintance on Friday. According to the 81-year-old West 73rd Street resident, he was standing outside a store on West 72nd Street around 6 in the morning in September when a man he knew approached him and hit him twice on the side of the face with an aluminum walking cane. The reason for the attack was not reported, but the victim said that he remains fearful for his safety. He waited to be advised by a city social worker to report the case. The attacker remains at large and is wanted for assault.

BACKPACK SWIPE
A 29-year-old man was grabbing a quick bite at a fast food restaurant on Saturday when his backpack was snatched from right beneath his feet. The West 95th Street resident stopped by the restaurant on Broadway at 7 p.m. to eat. After he had ordered, he sat down with his food and put his backpack on the floor. 10 minutes later, he happened to look down and saw that the backpack was missing. Along with the pack, the victim lost an iPad, a Lenovo ThinkPad, a textbook and his wallet with two credit cards and $100 cash. Police have yet to gather any details on the thief.

ONE HEAVY ROBBERY
An unknown robber or group of robbers broke into a diner on Tuesday, Dec. 11, and got away with $100 in coins. The robber(s) approached the restaurant on West 67th Street at 5 a.m. and smashed the front window to enter. Once inside, the perp(s) located a toolbox beneath the cash register that contained a bunch of coins—200 quarters, 600 nickels and 200 dimes ($50, $30 and $20, respectively). The perps managed to lug the toolbox out of the store and escape without being detected. No security cameras were in the diner or around the area, and the robber(s) are now wanted for burglary.

BAD BULLY
A 12-year-old boy was robbed on Amsterdam Avenue on Monday, Dec. 12. The boy was walking home with a group of friends in the middle of the afternoon when a teenaged stranger approached the group and asked the boy if he could use his cellphone. The boy refused, so the teen grabbed the boy around the neck. He reached into the boy’s pocket and snatched his wallet, then ran on the street toward Columbus Avenue. The teen has yet to be identified and is wanted for robbery.

SCAFFOLDING MOTOR HEIST
A scaffolding company reported last week that two motors were stolen from the top of one of their scaffolds in a residential building on West End Avenue. The motors were last seen on top of the scaffold on Friday, Dec. 7, then were found to be missing last Wednesday. Video surveillance of the area might be able to help police identify the thief or thieves. The motors were worth $10,000 each.

A woman was robbed at knifepoint while riding the subway last Friday. At about 2:30 a.m., the 44-year-old Queens resident boarded a southbound 2 train and was approached by a knife-wielding man. “Give me your money,” he demanded, and pressed the knife up against her face as he went through her jacket and pockets. He removed her phone and close to $1,000 cash. At 66th Street Station, he hopped off of the train and ran out of the station. He is now wanted for robbery.

FAILED HOOKUP
A 27-year-old lost his watch last week when the woman he brought home after a fun night out stole it from him. At 3 in the morning on Friday, the young charmer returned to his apartment on West 86th Street with a woman he had met at a bar. He left her alone for a minute for a quick bathroom break, and when he returned, she was gone—and so was his $8,000 Rolex. The thief is now at large. According to the victim, she has a bear or tiger tattoo.

DOMESTIC ABUSE
A 60-year-old woman recently reported to NYPD that she had been abused by her husband. When an officer arrived to investigate at the couple’s Central Park West apartment at 5 p.m. on Saturday, however, the couple did not answer the door. The officer called for backup, and when they attempted to enter the apartment, the battered wife tried to prevent them. Police arrested the husband and the wife, who scratched an officer’s neck while resisting them. The couple was taken to a nearby hospital, and both refuse to cooperate with police.

SNEAK ATTACK
A young Upper West Side resident was robbed over the weekend on West 80th Street. The 25-year-old had just exited a taxi at 12:40 a.m. Saturday when a stranger sneaked up behind her and knocked her to the ground. While she was down, the attacker snatched her purse and then sprinted away to Columbus Avenue. The victim was able to recover her purse, but her wallet and Blackberry had been removed. The robber remains at large.

STOLEN WEDDING RINGS
A middle-aged couple reported to police that two of their rings had been stolen over the summer. On Wednesday, Dec. 5, the couple told police that the landlord of their West 84th Street apartment had alerted them that work needed to be done on their home. After the work was completed in August, the couple’s lives returned to normal, until they recently realized that the 41-year-old wife’s wedding and engagement rings were missing from the clothing drawer they kept them in. The wedding ring is worth $600, and the engagement ring is worth $32,000.

A 50-year-old West End Avenue resident reported to police last Thursday that he received repeated e-mails from an unknown man threatening to kill him. In the messages, the perp explained that someone had offered him $2,000 (half given in advance) to execute the Upper West Sider, and that the resident could only subvert his pending demise by paying the perp $1,000. Concerned for his safety, the resident reported the threats to the FBI, who told him to go to local authorities. Police filed the case as attempted grand larceny.

ROGUE BIKER TARGETS TOURIST
Last Sunday, at 11:30 a.m., a 50-year-old man visiting the Upper West Side from Australia was taking a stroll with his camera. He was happily snapping shots of the American Museum of Natural History on West 81st Street when an unknown man on a bike approached him. The cyclist grabbed the man’s bag off his shoulder and quickly rode away, making off with the tourist’s $399 Jono Hennessy eyeglasses.

COUPLE ARRESTED AFTER VIOLENT SPAT
In the early morning hours of last Friday, police were called to the scene of a domestic dispute that turned violent. A couple, ages 39 and 38, were arguing at the woman’s West End Avenue apartment. The verbal fight became physical when he slashed her on the arm with a kitchen knife, and she hit him on the bridge of his nose with a hard plastic bottle. It is unclear who initiated the violence, but police arrested both parties for assault.

BAD BOYFRIEND
A 20-year-old woman was fighting with her 19-year-old boyfriend last Wednesday evening at her West 68th Street apartment. The boyfriend ended the argument when he grabbed his girlfriend’s $200 iPhone, punched her in the face and fled the scene. The perp is wanted for robbery and assault.

BUS STOP ROBBERY
A 33-year-old man was robbed by two muggers while waiting for the bus at Amsterdam Avenue and West 86th Street on Sunday. The perps approached him around 5:30 a.m. and one revealed a knife and demanded money, saying, “I don’t want to have to cut your face.” The man attempted to walk away from the robbers, but they pursued him, pushed him and told him to stand still. The man surrendered $200, and the robbers fled the scene. The perps were described as 30-year-old black Hispanic men, one 5 feet, 2 inches tall with curly hair wearing a black ski cap, and the other 6 feet, 1 inch with short hair wearing jeans and a black sweater.

MASSIVE CHECK FRAUD
Last Saturday, a local man came to the police to report a giant scam perpetrated against him. The 33-year-old Riverside Boulevard resident discovered that an unknown person had created a fake check using his account number and information. That person also forged the victim’s signature on the check for a whopping $49,900.00. The man’s bank, Chase, discovered the fraud when the check was deposited into an MCU bank account.